Fifth-wheel.



J. VILLIGER & E. J. SGHIERER.

FIFTH WHEEL. APPLICATION FILED AUG. 25, 1913.

Patented Nov. 18, 1913.

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'To c'll whom, it mag/concern stirs arm 3' OSEPH VILIJIG-ER AND EDWARDJ. SCHIERER, 0F METAMORA, ILLINOIS.

FIFTH-WHEEL.

Specification of Letters iPatent.

nor-snea- Patented Nov. is, 1913.-

Application filed August 25, 1913. Serial No. 786,525.

Be it known that we, Jos'nrrr VILLIenn and EDWARD J. SoHInnnR, citizensof the United States residing at Metamora, in the county of Woodford andState of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inFifth-Wheels; and we do hereby declare that the following is a fullclear, and exact description of the invention,

which will enable others skilledfin the art.

to which itappertains to makeand use the same. a

This invention relates to a fifth wheel for vehicles a 7' The object ofthe invention is to furnish a structure in a fifth wheel whichgfwhilesftrongandrigid sosas to standlgreat strain, the bolster-and axle willhave free Vertical movement "relatively in order that when the Wheels ofthe vehicle dropinto depressions or rise in passing over uneven placesthe wagon box and gearlng will not bestrained or twisted especially whencarrying heavy loads. c

. v The construction pr fifth wheels Ordinarily is. such that theholster above the front axle is notqper nitted to rock vertically understrains as en mels rise and fall in passing over obstructions or f into.depressions with the result that the wagon box (is often greatly andunduly strained out of shape, and looscried in itsfparts and especiallywhen transporting very heavy loads. Also" where the centerko'f rgravityisvery high as in carrying'hay piledihigh upon a rack the vehicle J isoften'overturnedfbecause, of-{t'he rigid con It/is the purpose of ourinvention, in view of the foregoing, to construct a fifth-wheel that,will permit the box or the wagon bed to accommodate itselfto thedifferences in elevation of the wheels whereby the straining of the boxor bed Will be eliminated and overturning cannot'take place. Having thisin view we shall proceed to the description of the invention {aided bythe accompanying drawing, in which,

Figure 1 is a sectional elevation of the fifth wheelshowing apart of thebolster and a part ofthe front wagon axle. Fig. 2 is a plan of the same.iFigBisa transverse section of the axle and apart of a lower plate ofthe. fifthwheel lonline w '00, Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is also a'transversescction of the axle and a ,partlof thefifth wheel and'a reachof the wagon.

with la projecting flange L the A indicates the axle and B is a lowercircular plate of the fifth wheel secured to the axle by means of aseries of pairs of bolts C which, together with a tie member D beneaththe axle and through which the bolts extend, forms a clip around saidaxle, as clearly shown in Fig. 8. Formed with said plate B is anupwardly extending boss or hub 13 centrally bored to receive a. kingbolt F the head of which lies in a-socket G which conforms to the shapeof said head prevent ing the bolt from turning. Said king bolt extendsthrough the axle in the usual manner and receives the usual nut H. Nearthe outer edge of the plate B is a race-wayJ for receiving a series ofballs K and outward from said raceway the .plate is provided purpose ofwhich will appear presentlyn V M is an upper plate centrally bored at Nl to receive the said hub E of the plate 13. This plate M is likewiseprovided with a race-way O tolie above and receive the balls K; and,further, said plate is extended "beyondgand overhangs and incloses theperiphery oftheplate'B. Secured to its overhanging portion is a ring Pwhich lies be I neath the flange L of said plate B for preventing theseparation of said plates. The 1 upper -surfface' of the plate M isfurther pro- 1 vided with a recess Q the bottom of which is flat for-itsgreater portion surrounding the bore V and thence the said bottom ofthe. recess is extended into an annular de pression formed by anglingthe surface of the metal downward as indicated at MC R is an annularflange as a part of the plate surrounding the recess upon which ismounted a ring S secured in place by a series of cap screws T forexample. This ring overhangs the recess Q and within the latter is. aplate U to which is secured the usual bolster V in any suitable manner.This plate U lies within andpreferably ex} tends above the ring S so asto receive the bolster, and is provided with an annular flange 7W lyingbenea'th the said ring. The

bottom of the plate U described has a flat or plane surface to rest uponthe flat or plane surface of the plate M; at the bottom of the recess Qwhile the lower surface of the flange is beveled at an angle upward orat an opposite angle to that of the surface M as clearly indicated inFig. 1 leaving a space between said flange and said plate M.

Again, "the upper surface of the flange is beveled downward toward itsedge'as clearly shown. Q

2 indicates a central upwardly flared bore for the plate U, said bore atthe lower side 4:, there being a strap 4 secured to the lat-' ter bymeans of bolts 5, and also secured to said reach 8 by means of a bolt 6which extends through the latter and also through any usual brace 7which is secured beneath the'axle A by the king bolt H and its nutdescribed. This is somewhat common practice and of itself is not new.The structure serves, however, to firmly brace the plate M, holding itrigid relativelyto the reach .while the axle and the lower plate B mayturn beneath and relatively to it, it being clear that the bolster andthe plate U may turn relatively to the. plate M beneath the ring Sdescribed. Since the plate B is secured rigidly to theaxle and the plateM is.held rigid with relation to the plate B through the ring P, exceptbeing permitted to rotate, it is clear that there can be no rockingmotion other than a rotary one, except a vertical one of the plateUwithin the recess Q. The broken lines inFig. 1 indicate-the movementtheplate U and the bolster may have withrespect to the other partsofthestructure as the wagon box rocks or. as the axle and its plates B and Mmay rock beneath the plate U. By making the flange Wrelatively thin itmay have considerable latitude or vertical movement within the recess Qor as much as in practice is found necessary, and sufficient space isleft between the inner edge of the ring S and the upward extension ofthe plate so that the described free movement" can take place. Again, byflaring the recess 2 which surrounds the boss or hub E of the plate Bthe rocking movement will not be limited. Said boss or hub assists inholding the plates B and U centrally and takes the side strains imposedupon them but permits their free rotary movement. It is observed that byletting the headfof the king bolt H into the socket G of the bossor hubit will not interfere with the free turning movement of the bolster. Inactual practice the whole structure is thoroughly rigidexcept for therocking movement provided for the plate U and the required rotarymovement, and under heavy loads no straining of the wagon bed can occurand with a high center of gravity overturning of the vehicle is entirelyavoided.

The bearing surfaces of the plates M and U are preferably fiat for thegreater portion in order that there will be no rocking movement of thebolster in shifting the position of the load upon the wagon bed as mightbe caused by persons entering or leaving the wagon or in loading orunloading .goods and'so that when a preponderance of weight is at oneside of the wagon bed the bolster will not sag toward that side. Thebeveled surfaces, however, admit of the re quired tiltingdue to thecauses previously mentioned. v

Having thus described our invention which may be varied as to details ofconstruction without departing from the intent of the invention and thespirit of the following claims, we claim 1. The combination with an axleand a part adapted to turn relatively thereto, of a member carried inthe part and adapted to swing relatively to the same in a horizontalplane, and adapted for a rocking movement thereon.

2. The combination of an axle including a plate secured thereon, asecond plate rotatably mounted-on the first, a member including abolster, associated with the" secondfdescribed plate and adapted torotate relatively thereto and rock" thereon vertically, and

means carried by the member and said sec.- 1

upon said bearing plate, of a member seated in the'second describedplate. and adapted to rotate thereon and rock vertically 'withf're--spect thereto, and means carried by the said seconddescribed plate andadapted to'engage and limit the j-verticalrocking movementof the member.7

4:. The combination of'an axle and a bearing plate fixed relativelythereto, a second plate rotatably mounted upon the first, .a

member rotatably mounted by" the second described plate'and adapted torock 'vertically thereon and including a projecting part, andaprojecting part'on the second described plate to engage that of saidmember in extremes of the rocking movement of the latter. g

5. The combination of an axle and a bear ing plate fixed relativelythereto, a second plate rotatably mounted upon the first, means I toprevent them'ovement of the same relatively Other than the said mtarymovement" the said second plate including a substantially flat uppersurface for its greater portion and having an annular depression outsideof and surrounding the flat portion, a

member adapted to rock relatively to the second plate, and also having aflat under surface for lts greater portlon bearlng upon that of theplate and having. a beveled an nular surface surrounding said'portionand formed at an opposite angle to that of the second describecl' 31mand means W hold hanging and weed from the flange, 0f the

